How to Sand and Stain IKEA Hemnes TV Bench
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Looking to get a high end TV bench or TV stand for your home but on a budget? Learn how to sand and stain your IKEA Hemnes furniture at home. Whether you are using the Hemnes TV bench or another piece of furniture from that line, this is an easy project! Sharing how I transformed an IKEA Hemnes TV bench for under $450.
Why a TV Bench?
There are many different options you can pick when you are designing a space that needs a media stand for your TV. Here are a few unique options for media stands: A TV bench, TV stand, a dresser, a chest, console table, Easel (made specifically for a TV), above a fireplace, and in a bookcase.
As a designer, my preference in a more formal living room space would be to use a Frame TV either above the fireplace, or off to the side in a bookcase. Alternatively, placing the TV above a console or sideboard off to the side so it is not a focal point.
In a less formal space such as a family room, TV room, or bonus space like I have it my home – a TV bench or stand is a great option. My bonus room is on the third floor and more of a flexible space, therefore I opted for the Hemnes TV Bench because it has drawers for storage and has a great price point!
The Hemnes TV Bench
The Hemnes line of furniture at IKEA is very popular due to its timeless clean lines and because it is made out of wood unlike many other IKEA products. This makes this TV stand sturdy and longlasting but also flexibility to paint or stain it!
Looking to Paint IKEA furniture? Learn the best way to paint it here.
Materials Needed for the IKEA Hack
- Hemnes Tv Bench (you might want to try buying one second hand on Facebook Marketplace to save a little money!)
- Orbital Sander
- Corner Cat Sander
- Sandpaper
- Staining Sponge
- Whitewash Pickling
- Golden Oak Stain (Verethane)
- Cardovan Brown Stain Semi-Transparent (BEHR)
- Half Moon Moulding
- Webbing
- Adhesive Spray
- Wood Filler
- Mitre Box and Saw
- Brad Nailer
Instructions to Make the Hemnes TV Stand Hack
This project can be completed whether the tv stand is pre-built or fresh out of the IKEA box. I would purchase the Hemnes “stain” colours just to ensure you don’t run into any issues. A while ago IKEA made Hemnes in a preprinted glossy finish rather than stain finish – I would not recommend buying that!
Sanding IKEA Hemnes
Sanding IKEA Hemnes furniture is easy! It took me about an hour and 20 minutes to sand this Hemnes TV bench with the random orbital sander. This is also a project that doesn’t require much experience since the sander does most of the work for you. I used 80 grit sandpaper and the finished off with 220 to make it smooth.
It is important to sand every piece of the tv bench that is stained with IKEA’s finish to make sure it is prepped for staining. There is no need to sand the pine drawers, drawer bottoms, or thin back panel. Just focus on the painted pieces of the TV bench.
Staining IKEA Hemnes
One of the benefits of using the IKEA hemnes line is that it is made from wood. Once you have sanded your hemnes furniture, you can stain it any colour you want!
Once you have your hemnes tv stand or hemnes furniture sanded, it is time to stain it. You can use any stain you want, but I will share how I achieved the stain on my stand. Note you should stain your half moon moulding for the front of your drawers at the same time!
How I stained my Hemnes TV bench
Start with whitewash pickling as the first coat of stain, this helps ensure that stain doesn’t end up too dark on your hemnes (and other wood too!). I applied this with a staining cloth but you could use your staining sponge as well. I find it best to rub the whitewash into the wood and make sure you don’t have any excess left on the wood.
After the whitewash I applied the Golden Oak stain with the staining sponge. The sponge ensured that the stain went on really smooth. I applied this to the wood in the direct of the wood grain. In the case of the hemnes tv bench top, this was following the longest width of the bench – end to end. Make sure you don’t apply extra stain (with drips and streaks) and that the coverage is even on the wood.
The last stain colour that I applied was Cardovan Brown Stain Semi-Transparent. I used this stain on a previous project and decided to use it again because of the beautiful colour, however someone recently told it is an outdoor stain. This stain is much nicer to work with than the Golden Oak. Apply this with a new staining sponge in the direction of the wood. Make sure that you don’t leave excess stain/streaks on the wood.
Looking for more details? Watch the YouTube video on this project.
Drawer Fronts
The next step is creating the cane webbing drawer fronts for your hemnes TV bench. Start by laying your drawer fronts flat on the ground. It is a little easier to work on these if your drawers are not built yet.
Half Moon Trim
Take your half moon moulding trim and cut it to fit the perimeter of the drawer fronts. You will use your mitre box and saw to complete this, cutting mitered edges.
When I am doing this I think about a picture frame – it might be helpful to even take a picture frame off the wall and use it as a reminder. You are essentially creating a picture frame around the perimeter of the hemnes tv bench drawer fronts.
Each drawer front will have 4 pieces of trim, 2 long pieces for the top and bottom of the drawer and 2 smaller pieces for the two sides. When they are placed together they should perfectly create a “picture frame” on the front of your hemnes drawer fronts. Don’t attach them to the drawer yet!
Cane Webbing
Cut your cane webbing to the size of your draw fronts minus 1/4 inch on all sizes. You don’t want any of the webbing to be visible on the sides once your trim is on.
Creating the Drawer Front
Once the cane webbing is cut, place it on the drawer fronts. It may try to roll up, try to hold it flat and take one of the longer pieces of half moon moulding and place it on the top half of the drawer front, over the cane webbing.
When it is lined up and holding the cane webbing in place, use a brad nailer to attach it to the draw front. I used a few nails to do this evenly distributed along the trim.
Next, fold back your cane webbing so you are looking at the drawer front. Spray a generous amount of adhesive on the drawer front and press the cane webbing down onto it. You may need to hold it flat for a few minutes while it dries.
After the cane is glued into place and laying flat, attach the 3 remaining pieces of moulding to the drawer front. Refer to the below above photo to get a better understanding of how it will look. Take a bit of wood filler to fill the nail holes and the moulding corner joints. I found this brand matched well to the stain I used! It goes on pink and dried the same colour of wood.
Install knobs to your draw fronts or whatever you would like to use. I used push latches until I find the perfect knob for mine.
Want to learn how I made this Art Frame Tv? Find all of the project details here.
Building the Hemnes TV bench
Once your drawer fronts are finished drying and the stain on your IKEA hemnes is dry, you should build your TV bench. Follow the IKEA instructions as build as the guide shows.
The Video
FAQs
Yes! IKEA’s Hemnes furniture line is made from wood. Once you have sanded your IKEA Hemnes furniture, you can apply stain to it.
Yes, you can apply paint to IKEA Hemnes furniture. Check out this post to learn the best tips and tricks to paint your IKEA furniture without chips.
Unlike a lot of many ready-to-assemble pieces at IKEA and other furniture stores, the Hemnes line is built of solid wood.
Since IKEA hemnes is made of solid wood, it holds up well over time and is great for the price.
